December 13, 2025
Michelle Obama Responds To Maryland Students’ Social Campaign Requesting She Speak At Graduation
The campaign began during a student government association meeting.
Graduating seniors at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School launched a social media campaign to persuade former first lady Michelle Obama to speak at their 2026 commencement.
Student efforts have drawn the forever First Lady’s personal response, according to published reports.
The campaign began during a student government association meeting. It evolved into a series of videos shared across social platforms, attracting millions of views. SGA Vice President Noah said he and his classmates were inspired after watching Obama’s Netflix documentary Becoming and seeing her emphasis on youth voices.
“I’d watched her documentary Becoming on Netflix and, you know, we grew up with her — her being a great speaker, her really emphasizing youth voices, and I just thought she’d be an amazing speaker, and we’d be honored to have her at BCC,” he told NBC Washington.
Obama responded to the campaign by commenting on one of the videos. She offered encouragement and indicated that her team had reached out to the school to arrange something for the Class of 2026.
“I’m so moved by your videos. It’s a credit to you and so many others in your generation can get done through the power of organizing that I was able to see them. My team is in touch with your school, and we’re working on something special. In the meantime, I want to hear more from you. What gives you hope to post your videos and tag me? I can’t wait to hear from you.”
Noah said Obama’s acknowledgement of their campaign has given the students confidence.
“I think that what gives me hope is the fact that Mrs. Obama, she heard what we were saying, and she reached out to us. And that really shows that if we care about something and we try hard and we persist at something, then our voices can have an impact, and we can make a difference,” he told the outlet.
It remains uncertain whether Obama will ultimately agree to deliver the graduation address, but school leaders said discussions are underway.
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